• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • Strength
    • Best Home Gym Machines
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Budget Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Cable Machines
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Smith Machines
      • Best Smart Home Gyms
    • Best Barbells
      • Best Budget Exercise Bikes
      • Best Budget Barbells
      • Best Powerlifting Barbells
      • Best Barbells For Women
    • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Adjustable Kettlebells
    • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
    • More Strength Equipement
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Weight Plates
      • Best Bumper Plates
      • Best Slam Balls
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Best Weight Sleds
      • All Other Strength Equipment
    • Training
      • Exercise Guides
        • Deadlift
        • Bench Press
        • Back Squat
        • Overhead Press
        • Lat Pulldown
        • Shoulder Exercises
        • Chest Exercises
        • Ab Exercises
        • Quad Exercises
        • Biceps Exercises
      • Training Guides
        • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
        • How to Build Muscle
        • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
        • How to Train on a Cut
      • Workouts
        • Back Workouts
        • At-Home Workouts
        • Chest & Back Workouts
        • Full-Body Workout
        • HIIT Workouts
        • Bodybuilding Workouts
        • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
      • Programs
        • 5×5 Program
        • Bodybuilding Programs
        • Push-Up Program
        • Pull-Up Program
        • 5/3/1 Program
        • Powerbuilding Program
        • German Volume Training
        • Build Your Own Program
    • News
      • CrossFit
      • Strongman
      • Bodybuilding
      • Powerlifting
      • Weightlifting
      • HYROX
    • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
  • Nutrition
    • Best Protein
      • Best Protein Powder for Men
      • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
      • Best Protein Powder For Women
      • Best Tasting Protein Powders
      • Best Protein Bars
      • Protein by Goal
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss
        • Best Protein Powder for Weight Gain
        • Best Protein Powder for Muscle Gain
      • Protein by Diet
        • Best Egg White Protein Powder
        • Best Keto Protein Powder
        • Best Organic Protein Powder
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
    • Best BCAA’s
      • Best BCAA’s for Women
    • Best Fat Burners
      • Best Non-Stim Fat Burners
      • Best Fat Burners For Men
      • Best Curved Treadmills
      • Best Fat Burners For Women
    • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
      • Best Pre-Workout for Women
      • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
      • Strongest Pre-Workouts
    • Best Creatine
      • Best Creatine Gummies
      • Best Creatine For Women
      • Best Creatine for Men
    • Other Nutrition Products
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
        • Best Greens Powder for Pregnancy
      • Best Meal Delivery Services
        • Best Budget Meal Delivery Services
        • Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service
        • Best Healthy Meal Delivery Service
        • Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss
        • Best Paleo Meal Delivery Services
        • Best Multivitamins for Women
        • Best Multivitamins for Men
        • Best Supplement Stacks
        • Best Multivitamins
    • Guides
      • Diets
        • Carb Cycling
        • Vertical Diet
        • Reverse Dieting
        • Carnivore Diet
        • Ketogenic Diet
        • Intermittent Fasting
        • IIFYM Diet
      • Muscle Gain
        • How to Dirty Bulk
        • Go From Cutting to Bulking
        • Eat These Carbs
        • How to Eat for Muscle
      • Fat Loss
        • Macros for Fat Loss
        • Calorie Deficits
        • Natural Fat Burners
        • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
      • Supplement Guides
        • Pre-Workout
        • Whey Protein
        • Mass Gainers
        • Greens Powders
        • Creatine
        • BCAAs
      • Daily Protein Needs
      • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
      • Foods With Creatine
      • Bulking Tips
    • Individual Supplement Reviews
  • Conditioning
    • Best Treadmills
      • Best Manual Treadmills
      • Best Compact Treadmills
      • Best Budget Treadmills
      • Best Treadmills Under $2000
      • Best Treadmills Under $1000
      • Best Treadmills For Tall People
      • Best Commercial Treadmills
      • Best Under Desk Treadmills
    • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Water Rowing Machines
      • Best Budget Rowing Machines
      • Best Compact Rowing Machines
      • Best Foldable Rowing Machines
      • Best Air Rowing Machines
    • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Best Folding Exercise Bikes
      • Best Exercise Bikes For Seniors
      • Best Air Bikes
    • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Budget Ellipticals
      • Best Compact Ellipticals
      • Best Rear Driving Ellipticals
      • Best Ellipticals For Seniors
      • Best Under Desk Ellipticals
      • Best Ellipticals Under $1000
    • Other Conditioning Products
      • Best Jump Ropes
      • Best Plyometric Boxes
      • Best Speed Sleds
      • Best Agility Ladders
      • Best Vertical Climbers
      • Best Commercial Stair Climbers
      • Best Affordable Stair Climbers
    • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
  • Recovery
    • Best Cold Plunges
    • Best Saunas
      • Best Infrared Sauna
    • Best Massage Guns
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Best Compression Boots
    • Best Back Massagers
    • Best Massage Chairs
    • Other Recovery Tools
      • Best Inversion Tables
      • Best Vibrating Massage Rollers
      • Best Massage Balls
      • Best Ice Wraps
      • Best Foam Rollers
    • Recovery Guides
  • Fitness Accessories
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Fitness Apps
        • Best Weightlifting Apps
        • Best Workout Programs
        • Best Cycling Apps
        • Best Treadmills Apps
        • Best Workout Streaming Services
        • Best Workout Apps
        • Best Running Apps
    • Best Bluetooth Earbuds
    • Best Digital Scales
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Heart Rate Monitors
      • Best Pedometers
      • Best Stopwatches
    • Apparel
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
      • Best Sports Bras
      • Best Trail Running Shoes
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Lifting Chalk
      • Best Dip Belts
      • Best Pull Up Assist Bands
      • Best Lifting Belts
  • Community Forum
Home » Weightlifting News » 2016 Olympic Champion Weightlifter Nijat Rahimov Banned for 8 Years

2016 Olympic Champion Weightlifter Nijat Rahimov Banned for 8 Years

The Kazakh weightlifter looks to lose out on his gold medal to China's Lu Xiaojun.

Written by Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2
Last updated on April 30th, 2025

On Mar. 22, 2022, the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a Swiss-based international athletic regulatory body, issued a press release stating that Kazakh weightlifter and 2016 Olympic Champion Nijat Rahimov will serve an eight-year suspension for a doping offense.

According to the release, the CAS reached a decision following an Apr. 29, 2021 injunction request against Rahimov which was initially filed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Pursuant to the sanction by the CAS on behalf of the IWF, Rahimov’s ineligibility period will have retroactively begun on Jan. 18, 2021 and run for eight full years. 

The 77-kilogram gold medalist from the Rio Olympic Games will also have all of his competition results between Mar. 15, 2016 and Jan. 18, 2021, purged along with any medals, points, and prizes he may have won.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Нижат Рахимов (@nijat.raximov)

[Related: The Best Strength Athletes in 2021]

Rahimov was initially brought up on charges of Violation of Use of a Prohibited Method by the International Testing Agency (ITA) in January of 2021, which the Kazakh lifter challenged. The matter was subsequently brought before the Sole Arbitrator at the CAS, who found Rahimov to be guilty of urine sample substitutions, a violation of IWF Anti-Doping Article 2.2.

As such, the CAS upheld the ITA’s allegation against Rahimov despite his legal challenge. 

Nijat Rahimov’s Weightlifting Career 

Rahimov was a mainstay of the Kazakh weightlifting roster throughout the 2010s. According to the IWF competitive result registry, he partook in nine IWF events between 2015 and 2019 since his debut at the IWF Grand Prix in 2015. Rahimov won gold in the Total at the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships.

One year later at the Rio Olympic Games, Rahimov narrowly defeated Chinese weightlifter and veteran competitor Lu Xiaojun. 

Rahimov vs. Xiaojun at the 2016 Olympic Games Men’s 77KG

  • Nijat Rahimov (KAZ) — Snatch 160, 165X, 168 / Clean & Jerk 202, 214, X
  • Lu Xiaojun (CHN) — Snatch 170, 175, 177 / Clean & Jerk 197X, 197, 202

Note: All weights are in kilograms. The “X” next to the number denotes an unsuccessful attempt — Rahimov declined to take his final clean & jerk. 

At the Men’s 77-kilogram session in Rio, Xiaojun had exceeded Rahimov by a full 12 kilograms at the conclusion of the snatch.

However, he made a massive jump on his second clean & jerk from 202 kilograms (445.3 pounds) to 214 kilograms (471.7 pounds) and successfully made the lift to tie Xiaojun’s result in the Total (no medals are awarded at the Olympic Games for individual lifts). 

Olympic Implications

As Rahimov was the lighter man in Rio, weighing in just 0.64 kilograms under Xiaojun, he was awarded the Olympic gold medal. The IWF would remove this rule later in 2016, instead opting to award the higher placing to the athlete who hits the given weight (or Total) first. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP7BsYW5JU0

The CAS’ penalty will include a forfeiture of Rahimov’s Olympic medal which will presumably be awarded retroactively to Xiaojun. If this is the case, this will mark a historic third Olympic Games gold medal for the Chinese athlete (2012, 2020).

With the Rio gold joining his highly extensive list of accolades, Xiaojun will enter an elite cohort of Olympic Champions with three wins, including Greek lifters Pyrros Dimas and Kakhi Kakhiashvili, as well as Turkish athletes Halil Mutlu and Naim Süleymanoğlu.

Featured Image: @nijat.raximov on Instagram

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap